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Beaufort County commissioners debate using fund balance for 10% tax cut
Summary
Commissioners and staff debated a proposal to cut the property tax rate by 10% funded from the county's unassigned fund balance, with finance staff warning against using one-time reserves for recurring costs and some commissioners pushing for spending cuts instead.
A proposal to reduce Beaufort County's proposed property tax rate by 10% and fund the reduction from the county's fund balance prompted a sharp debate during a budget workshop.
The motion to cut the tax rate by 10% "money to come from the fund balance" was introduced as a straw motion but failed in the roll call straw vote.
County finance staff told commissioners the unassigned general fund balance is projected at $26,700,000 at 06/30/2025, about 35.7% of annual expenditures, and reminded the board the county's fund balance target policy is 35%.
The commissioner proposing the tax cut argued the county was "sitting here on a pile of money, fat and happy,"…
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